Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-16
NEWSPAPER REPORTERS.
How They Secure News Under DIM.
cuiiies-En.er5sting Authentic
Experiences.
The Every Dsy Business OF OutwitttDg
magistrates, Police OhiCers
and Each Other,

Il has always been q deep mystery 70
the average Newspaper reader how such
complete reports are daily presented in
the columns OF the various journals Of
matters where every eudeav0r is made TO
keep The facts out OF the papers. How is
It possible, they say, TO record the doiugs
of 8 meeting held with closed doors, pen
citrate the depths Of 2 crime IN advance
Of the trained detective, Unvail the sealed
verdict Of jury, or snatch the news Of Q
great financial or political move from tie
custody Of wstclful Guardians? TIE
answer is easy. i reporter on q live
paper finds a the outset OF his career that
explanations and excuses Tor missing i'm
portaEt news in his department are not
desired. The thing be must DO If he
would hold his place IS 20 "git thsr."
Why is it." says tee city editor, "that
you couldn't lind out anything about the
case, while the Daily Blizzard has Z
column and d hall ?" The Couundrum is
appalling 10 The youthful aspirgnt for
journalistic fame, and the dTesd of its
repetition stiTs him to gigantic efforts,
WhICh carry him over obstacles seemingly
irsurmountablc at times. There are
many bits Of successful reporting under
what appeared to have been very difficult
circumstances which are current kuOwl-
edge among the fraternity, ana few Of
them may De found interesting 20 the
outside world.
The Lynn trunk mystery" the case IN
which the body Of girl, aiterward
proved TO be jennie Cisrae, was found il
q trunk in SaUga5 river, viii be wildly
recalled by nearly every reader of the
Herald. Although the fullest descrip-
ti0us Of the girl were published far and
wide, weeks passed and al the cEorls Of
the police failed to secure the slightest
trace OF Ter identity. a public funeral
was held 81 ,Gst, and while on the way 20
report it two newspaper men, ii. E.Caam-
berlain and W. II. Hathaway, picked up
Il the street 4 common business card,
UyOn wG.cG vas written Whist appeared
g. De 3 copy Of c dispatch asking gen
teman ia Manchester whether Jennie
Clarke was CT his house. i morning pa
per had contained 81 advertisement ask
irg FOR Information regarding lac where
shouts IF 8 girl Gf Inc same name, and tIe
suspicious ii the reporters were at once
excited. With this slight c.eW tley traced
JeuIio's mother 50 Hyde Park and
brought her TO Lynn, where she
PROMPTLY RECOGNIZED HER CHILD.
Mrs. Clarke was O. p3or WOMEN, end Is
the reporters paid ler expenses to Lynn,
they easily induced her 20 promise 10
TAX to no other scribe until af-er their
g, pert should sppsar in print, and the
result was grea. "scoJp." The parties
Hao caused JerHie's death were arrested
and punished. How intent reporter
may be On getting news in such e case
can best he shown by recording the fact
t7e Lynn lcCsl reporter OF a Boston paper,
"Ned" Iag2lls, secured key To Tie t0mb
where Miss Glarka's body was kept, and
spent days there concealed ia s celia
box, hoping to get The first news Of su7
possible Identification through the MANY
persons who we're admitted iCr that pu--
pose BY the police.
The case OF John Phair is cause cele-
bre in the annals OF criminal prosecution,
made 90 by the work Of L. Q. Carrigan,
now well known in the state, aut ten
years since journalist representing BOs-
Ton newspaper interests in Vermont.
Ph9ir was accused Of the murder Of Annie
T. Frieze ct Rutland in 1871, end in 1877
lay in iaiI st Windsor GWsiring execution.
Carrigan secured from Pair an elaborate
statement in writing, to be Used after his
DEAN, ard sent it 20 q Boston p9per, |
which published it on the morning Of the
dsv when IL was expected he would be
hanged. Ia this statement was The asser-
ton thst Plrlr had taken certain train
and made Journey which would make il I
impossible nat he could have been ST the
scene Of the murder a. the time alleged, /
and spoke Of c conversation he had with
q gentleman on the train, WHO, # he could !
have been found, might nave changed the
verdict Of the Jury, based on cigcumstau-
tial evidence alone. The newspaper
which printed this statement placed
on its bulletin these words: "Wul
Vermont ham an innocent man to-Gsy?"
A man named Downing was attracted by
the bulletin, bought q paper, read the &C |
count, and immediSCaIy recalled meeting
Pnair under the circumstances described. |
He hastily sought the manager Of the
paper, and dispatch to the Governor Of !
Vermont vas forwarded, outlining the |
discovery. The result was that Phair
was reprieyed for thirty days lust twenty !
four minutes before the time sent for his !
execution. The retrieve was subse-
Guently extended TO two yasrs, and on
still further evidence, found later, an
other stay of six DAYS was granted. But
Phair was hung az lest. The general
opinion in Vermont to-day Is that he was
innocent. He is probably the only mau